Have you heard there was a war on Christmas? Have you heard "Merry X-Mas" and "Happy Holidays" were its slogans?
Take a deep breath, I've got good news.
Merry X-Mas
"X" is the Greek letter "chi", and in Greek it's the first letter of the word "Christ. "X" has been used as an abbreviation for "Christ" for the past thousand years or so. It's still used today, especially in Eastern Orthodox churches. When stores put out their holiday signs, they save space when they can. One way to save space is to abbreviate. "X-Mas" is an abbreviation for "Christ"-mas.
Ahhhh. That feels better. Let the rage dissipate. Peace on earth, etc.
Happy Holidays
Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, and, if your church is into that sort of thing, Epiphany (more on that later). Also, Hanukkah. All holidays. All very close together. "Happy Holidays." Less space to write, and easier to say than, "Have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year."
Mmmmmm. Offenses removed. An nice, appropriate thing to happen at X-mas time. Happy holidays!
1 comment:
Amen, brother Patrick.
In light of the way Christ came, doesn’t the whole concept of a “battle” for Christmas seem a little odd? A battle is exactly what the Jews of Jesus’ day were expecting - a messiah who would come and wipe the Romans off the face of the earth. Instead, God sent a baby in a manger. Hardly, a leader ready for war. The late Madeleine L’Engle put it this way in her poem about Christ’s birth, “Like Every Newborn.”
Girded for war, humility his mighty dress,
He moves into the battle wholly weaponless.
If people are really concerned about the state of Christmas this year, follow the example of Christ. Humble yourself, discard your possessions, and give of yourself to others without regard for how they will respond or what words they will say. Against all expectations, it worked for Jesus as his gospel took hold and changed the world. Such unlikely methods would probably work for us as well.
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